2006 Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir — New Release
2006 Rex Hill Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir — New Release

Food Suggestions
The opening act to our Cellar Club appreciation event this month will be a tasting and tutorial on the fifth sense of taste, Umami (see below for details). To tease your taste buds we have paired up the 2006 Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir with a recipe loaded with savory goodness. The recipe we chose for the 2006 Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir pays homage to the vineyard’s past life as a turkey farm. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we couldn’t resist the combination. One of the more vigorous blocks at this exceptional vineyard bears the name Turkey Shed, and I think you can guess why. Enjoy the sentimental deference as much as the pairing.

UMAMI

In this recipe, the Umami characteristic can be found in the black bean, which is a traditional Cantonese ingredient made from fermented, salted soybeans. This is intensified by the garlic and ginger and is a staple of Chinese cooking. The oyster sauce is another source of Umami and adds some of the depth to this recipe. The third source of Umami is the Shaoxing wine (or Sherry substitute) added to the chicken broth and water which also helps tenderize the pork ribs. Pinot Noir can handle Umani very well, which is why it is an excellent red wine choice for most Asian dishes.

Black Bean Spareribs
An Experiment in Umami

We are all familiar with the four basic tastes – Sweet, Salty, Sour and Bitter. From an early age, we were taught how our taste buds perceive these flavors and how they affect the perception of taste in the foods and beverages we enjoy. In recent years, another basic flavor is receiving recognition – the taste of Umami.

Although there is no direct translation for Umami, it has been described as a sense of savoriness or richness in the flavors of food. Asian cultures have known about this “fifth” taste dating back over a thousand years, but the concept has only been hinted at in western cooking in the last hundred years and officially recognized as a true basic sense of taste in the past few decades. Like our other four senses of tasting, Umami in food affects how we address our wine and food pairings. Pinot Noir with its nice balance of fruit, earthy characteristics and acidity is well-suited for pairings with foods, especially Asian dishes that are high in savoriness or Umami. Wine itself, especially red wine, brings its own Umami to the combination.

Recipe from Lynne Char Bennett from the San Francisco Chronicle that balances the characteristics of the Umami in both the food and wine into a terrific pairing.

2006 Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir — New Release
2005 William Hatcher Chardonnay — New Release

Food Suggestions:
The opening act to our Cellar Club appreciation event this month will be a tasting and tutorial emphasizing the fifth sense of taste, Umami. To tease your taste buds we paired the 2006 Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir with a recipe loaded with savory goodness. To pair with the 2005 William Hatcher Chardonnay, we went straight to his kitchen table for two Hatcher favorites: great wine & great food. The Crab Bisque has been a staple in the Hatcher house for many years and we hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup salted, fermented Chinese black beans (see additional notes in the cooking instructions)*
4 green onions
1 pound spareribs cut across the bone into 1 or 1 ½ inches. You can substitute leaner and more tender baby back ribs.
Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup Shaoxing wine (can be found in the international food section of most grocery stores). A dry Sherry can be used as a substitute.
3 - 1 ½ to 2 inch pieces of peeled ginger, slightly crushed
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Chinese black beans are fermented and salted soybeans that can be found in most Asian markets. Rinse, then chop or mash up half the beans rather finely. Set aside. (Prepared black bean sauce can be found in the international food section of most grocery stores and can be used in the same amount as a substitution. Do not confuse with HOT Black Bean sauce. This is an extremely hot condiment.)

2. Trim green onions and cut 3 onions and the white part of the fourth onion into 1 ½ inch pieces. (Keep white parts of the onion separate from the green parts you just prepped.) Set aside. Reserve the remainder of the fourth onion for use later. Trim the excess fat from the spareribs then cut into individual pieces.

3. Add just enough oil to coat the surface of a medium skillet or wok placed over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the rib pieces and brown on all sides. Add more oil if needed. Remove from pan and set aside.
Discard excess oil from the pan. If there are burned bits, remove or start with a clean pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan over medium heat along with the black beans. Cook until aromatic, stirring occasionally about every 15 to 30 seconds. Add garlic and cook briefly before adding the pork spareribs, chicken broth, Shaoxing wine, ginger, oyster sauce and the white parts of the onions. Add enough water to reach the halfway up the ribs. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours. Stir and check level of liquid occasionally, adding more water as necessary to keep the liquid half way up the ribs. Skim and discard any accumulated fat. Add the green onion pieces 15 minutes before the end of cooking. When the meat is tender, uncover and reduce the liquid to desired flavor and consistency. You can add sugar to taste to balance out the saltiness of the dish.

4. Use the remainder of the fourth green onion by cutting it into thin, wispy strips as a garnish. This dish can be served with white rice and your favorite stir-fried vegetables like bok choy or napa cabbage.

WINE SUGGESTION
2006 Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons red pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1½ cups of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups half-and-half
Dash white pepper
Dash pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1½ cups crab meat (that’s the original spec but one can never have too much crab meat)

Serves 4

It must be confessed that in its essence this recipe derives from a now-tattered 1979 calendar in our cookbook cupboard. It has survived as a favorite for nearly three decades and remains a staple both for a simple dinner and an elegant first course for company. We tried it with the 2005 Chardonnay. Happily, the bisque and the wine brought out the best in one another.

DIRECTIONS

Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet; add the red pepper, onion, scallion, mushrooms and parsley. Sauté until soft, five minutes or so. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour. Add milk and stir until smooth and thickened. Stir in salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Add sautéed vegetables and half-and-half. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, add the crab meat you haven’t already eaten and simmer uncovered for five minutes. Just before serving, stir in sherry.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds boneless turkey breast
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
3/4 pound sweet cherries, pitted,or frozen and thawed
1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a roasting pan, rub the turkey breast with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Brush the turkey with the marmalade and broil until lightly charred, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine the cherries, apple, onion, pecans, jalapeño and ginger and season with salt. Slice the turkey and serve with the cherry salsa.

Serves 4

Recipe by Wendy Kalen, Food & Wine.com

WINE SUGGESTION 
2006 Rex Hill Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir